Come Lead Code for DC with Us

Code for DC has done some really cool things over the last three years. We’ve rallied more than 2,000 coders, activists, organizers, and data scientists to work on issues ranging from education equity to affordable housing to campaign finance transparency. We’ve helped organize events to create tools for returning citizens and to help women get into tech, and we’ve pushed the DC government to be more open, more inclusive, and more resident-focused. But there’s more that we can do, and we need your help to do it.

Currently, Code for DC is led by two Captains—us, Steven Reilly and Justin Grimes—on a volunteer basis. We’re having a great time, but we think that we both (1) can’t and (2) shouldn’t run the organization by ourselves. On the first point, we’ve grown to the point that there’s too much for two people to handle effectively. On the second, we want the organization to be representative of a city as diverse as DC, and to that end it’s short-sighted for two cis white men to run it alone.

So, we’re hoping to bring on 2-3 Deputy Captains to join the Code for DC leadership team. We’d like that to be you! While the specific responsibilities will vary based on the person, here’s the sort of stuff that we do now:

We plan to give particular consideration to applicants from underrepresented and marginalized groups. You do not need to be a Code for DC regular. You definitely do not need to be a coder. Instead, you should have a demonstrable interest in improving civic outcomes and at least some interest in technology. You should be able to think creatively about civic and strategic issues. And you should have a few hours available each week to spend on Code for DC activities. Like the existing Captains, these are volunteer positions.

If you’re interested or have questions, you can reach us by any of the means on the About page, or by using the Contact form. And if you’re wondering about whether or not you should apply, please do!

Code for America is a non-partisan, non-political organization working to create low-risk settings for innovation between citizens and government. Learn more about Code for America's mission and its Fellowship, Brigade, Accelerator, Peer Network and Code for All programs.